The Urantia Book -- Part IV. The Life And
Teachings Of JesusPAPER 136: Section 3.
The Forty Days

P1512:5,136:3.1
Jesus had endured the great temptation of his mortal bestowal before his baptism
when he had been wet with the
dews of Mount Hermon for six weeks. There on Mount
Hermon, as an unaided mortal of the realm, he had met and defeated the Urantia
pretender, Caligastia, the prince of this world. That eventful day, on the universe
records, Jesus of Nazareth had become the Planetary Prince of Urantia. And this
Prince of Urantia, so soon to be proclaimed supreme Sovereign of Nebadon, now
went into forty days of retirement to formulate the plans and determine upon
the technique of proclaiming the new kingdom of God in the hearts of men. P1512:6,136:3.2
After his baptism he entered upon the forty days of adjusting himself to the
changed relationships of the world and the universe occasioned by the personalization
of his Adjuster. During this isolation in the Perean hills he determined upon
the policy to be pursued and the methods to be employed in the new and changed
phase of earth life which he was about to inaugurate. P1512:7,136:3.3
Jesus did not go into retirement for the purpose of fasting and for the affliction
of his soul. He was not an ascetic, and he came forever to destroy all such
notions regarding the approach to God. His reasons for seeking this retirement
were entirely different from those which had actuated Moses and Elijah, and
even John the Baptist. Jesus was then wholly self-conscious concerning his relation
to the universe of his making and also to the universe of universes, supervised
by the Paradise Father, his Father in heaven. He now fully recalled the bestowal
charge and its instructions administered by his elder brother, Immanuel, ere
he entered upon his Urantia incarnation. He now clearly and fully comprehended
all these far-flung relationships, and he desired to be away for a season of
quiet meditation so that he could think out the plans and decide upon the procedures
for the prosecution of his public labors in behalf of this world and for all
other worlds in his local universe.

P1513:1,136:3.4
While wandering about in the hills, seeking a suitable shelter, Jesus encountered
his universe chief executive, Gabriel, the Bright and Morning Star of Nebadon.
Gabriel now re-established personal communication with the Creator Son of
the universe; they met directly for the first time since Michael took leave
of his associates on Salvington when he went to Edentia preparatory to entering
upon the Urantia bestowal. Gabriel, by direction of Immanuel and on authority
of the Uversa Ancients of Days, now laid before Jesus information indicating
that his bestowal experience on Urantia was practically finished so far as
concerned the earning of the perfected sovereignty of his universe and the
termination of the Lucifer rebellion. The former was achieved on the day of
his baptism when the personalization of his Adjuster demonstrated the perfection
and completion of his bestowal in the likeness of mortal flesh, and the latter
was a fact of history on that day when he came down from Mount Hermon to join
the waiting lad, Tiglath. Jesus was now informed, upon the highest authority
of the local universe and the superuniverse, that his bestowal work was finished
in so far as it affected his personal status in relation to sovereignty and
rebellion. He had already had this assurance direct from Paradise in the baptismal
vision and in the phenomenon of the personalization of his indwelling Thought
Adjuster. P1513:2,136:3.5
While he tarried on the mountain, talking with Gabriel, the Constellation
Father of Edentia appeared to Jesus and Gabriel in person, saying: "The records
are completed. The sovereignty of Michael number 611,121 over his universe
of Nebadon rests in completion at the right hand of the Universal Father.
I bring to you the bestowal release of Immanuel, your
sponsor-brother for
the Urantia incarnation. You are at liberty now or at any subsequent time,
in the manner of your own choosing, to terminate your incarnation bestowal,
ascend to the right hand of your Father, receive your sovereignty, and assume
your well-earned unconditional rulership of all Nebadon. I also testify to
the completion of the records of the superuniverse, by authorization of the
Ancients of Days, having to do with the termination of all
sin-rebellion in
your universe and endowing you with full and unlimited authority to deal with
any and all such possible upheavals in the future. Technically, your work
on Urantia and in the flesh of the mortal creature is finished. Your course
from now on is a matter of your own choosing." P1513:3,136:3.6
When the Most High Father of Edentia had taken leave, Jesus held long converse
with Gabriel regarding the welfare of the universe and, sending greetings
to Immanuel, proffered his assurance that, in the work which he was about
to undertake on Urantia, he would be ever mindful of the counsel he had received
in connection with the prebestowal charge administered on Salvington.

P1514:1,136:3.7
Throughout all of these forty days of isolation James and John the sons of
Zebedee were engaged in searching for Jesus. Many times they were not far
from his abiding place, but never did they find him.